I swept the Phoenix with the Onmyoji Shikigami

Chapter 204 Ancient Tree Tea Brewing Ceremony

In the warm atmosphere of the aroma of tea, the sudden visit of Prime Minister Hua undoubtedly added a bit of unexpected surprise and warmth to the tea party.

He walked into the room with a warm smile on his face. After greeting Mr. Gu, Gu Chengjin and Xinghan, he naturally immersed himself in the in-depth conversation about tea and culture that was about to unfold.

During the meal, Mr. Gu became more and more talkative. He stroked the teacup in his hand, his eyes gleaming with memories, and said slowly:

"Speaking of this tea, I am reminded of a special ancient tree tea that Prime Minister Hua personally gave me two years ago. When I first tasted it, I was deeply attracted by its unique flavor. From then on, I couldn't stop drinking it. It became my indispensable drink every day. What's more interesting is that I found that this tea can only bring out its flavor to the extreme when paired with my special tea, so I usually only like to use one kind of tea to brew it."

Prime Minister Hua looked at City Lord Gu with a smile and waved his hand gently, indicating that he should be welcome. "Hey, good tea should be shared."

When Xinghan heard this, a hint of curiosity flashed in his eyes. He has always been quite knowledgeable about the tea ceremony, but he has never heard of such a sophisticated method of brewing tea. He inadvertently glanced at Gu Chengjin's complicated expression, and his eyes became more confident.

So, he smiled and asked Master Gu:

"Master Gu, after hearing what you said, I am really curious. I wonder if I can have the honor to observe how your family brews this ancient tree tea with this special tea water? It will also open my eyes and let me learn a thing or two."

Upon seeing this, Mr. Gu laughed and agreed happily.

He turned to the servant beside him and instructed:

"Go, call Lao Zhang over and ask him to prepare my set of tea sets and tea specially used for brewing ancient tree tea."

After a while, a kind-faced and trusted servant named Lao Zhang, who was about fifty years old, and a young man named Xiao Zhang, came in carefully bringing in a complete set of exquisite tea sets and a tea table.

The tea sets are carved with delicate patterns, and each piece looks simple and elegant, revealing extraordinary taste.

Old Zhang carefully placed the tea sets one by one, and took a special pottery jar from Little Zhang, which contained the special tea that Mr. Gu had mentioned.

As the tea sets were placed, a brewing ceremony of ancient tree tea and special tea was about to begin. Mr. Gu, Prime Minister Hua, Gu Chengjin and Xinghan sat around the tea table, holding their breath, ready to witness this feast of tea culture together.

Just as everyone was immersed in the tea-making ceremony that was about to begin, brisk footsteps were heard outside the door, and then Gu Chengrui's figure appeared on the threshold.

He was dressed in gorgeous clothes and smiling. As soon as he entered the room, he walked straight to Prime Minister Hua and performed a standard scholar's salute. His voice was crisp and powerful:

"It is a great honor for the Gu family that the Prime Minister has visited my humble home. I have prepared a small gift as a token of my respect." As he spoke, he took out an exquisite wooden box from his sleeve and gently opened it. Inside was a bag of ancient tea with a simple color and a fragrant aroma.

"This is a treasure that my father sent people to search the world for several months ago and found. It is called 'Yunwu Fairy Tea'. It is said to grow on the top of deep mountains shrouded in clouds and mist. The annual output is very small and extremely precious. My father has been reluctant to taste it, so he specially ordered me to present it to the Prime Minister today. I hope the Prime Minister will accept it." Gu Chengrui's words were full of pride and boasting, and it was obvious that he was very confident in this gift.

Upon seeing this, Prime Minister Hua quickly stood up, took the wooden box with both hands, and thanked him repeatedly: "Mr. Gu, you are too polite. I am really unworthy of such precious tea. Lord Gu, why are you so polite? Thank you very much."

City Lord Gu was very pleased, he stroked his hands gently, bowed and said, "It worked, Prime Minister. If I learn that your family will have a happy event, I will definitely give you a small gift to show my congratulations."

Upon learning about Hua Niao's marriage, Gu Chengrui did not show any emotion. Instead, he repeatedly congratulated Prime Minister Hua on his wedding and just shouted, "Please give me some wine. I will definitely send you a big gift to celebrate some other day."

Prime Minister Hua praised the virtues of the two young masters of the Gu family, which led to several people at the table thanking and greeting each other again and again, making Xinghan feel very uncomfortable.

Fortunately, the formal ceremony was over in no time.

Gu Chengrui smiled slightly, turned around and sat down at his seat. His eyes swept over Gu Chengjin and Xinghan, a hint of disdain appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"Brother, you don't look well. Are you unable to take care of the chores for dad? If so, why not let me take care of it. I will definitely help you. It's rare for a busy man like you to find time to visit dad. Oh, what a coincidence, isn't this Mr. Xinghan, the famous genius doctor? Nice to meet you."

There was a hint of frivolity and arrogance in his tone, and it was obvious that he didn't care much about the existence of Gu Chengjin and Xinghan.

Upon hearing this, Xinghan just smiled slightly, nodded gently in return, and said nothing more.

He knew Gu Chengrui's character very well and was too lazy to argue with him about these meaningless arguments.

Gu Chengjin frowned slightly, but then relaxed his brows. He understood that in such occasions, the most important thing was to maintain composure and calmness.

Seeing this, Prime Minister Hua secretly shook his head. He knew very well that the two sons of the Gu family had very different personalities, but it was not appropriate to say more at this moment. So, he coughed lightly and brought the topic back to tea:

"Mr. Gu's gift is really too valuable. There is no need to prepare a backup gift. I am unworthy of it. But speaking of tea, I am more interested in the tea-making ceremony that Mr. Gu is about to demonstrate. I wonder if Mr. Gu is willing to start now?"

Upon hearing this, Mr. Gu smiled slightly and nodded in agreement.

Old Zhang took the signal from Mr. Gu and began his usual exquisite ancient tree tea brewing ceremony.

However, he seemed a little unusual today. His movements were slow and slightly trembling, as if every tiny movement took up a lot of his energy.

The teaspoon accidentally slipped from his hands several times, and the crisp collision sound was particularly harsh in the quiet tea room; when pouring water, it accidentally spilled several times, splashing a lot of precious ancient tree tea leaves, making the tea-making process that should have been perfect full of regrets.

Such a mistake naturally did not escape Gu Chengrui's eyes. He frowned, his displeasure was evident in his words. Just as he was about to open his mouth to reprimand, Gu Chengjin gently held his arm.

"Brother, don't be angry. Lao Zhang might be feeling unwell today, that's why he behaved like this." Gu Chengjin's voice was gentle and firm, with understanding and concern for Lao Zhang.

Seeing this, City Master Gu also sighed softly, his eyes full of pity and reluctance for Lao Zhang. "Lao Zhang, are you getting old and not as healthy as before?"

His words were full of care and inquiry, as if a loving father was asking his elderly child.